On 17 August, MINURSO raised the flag of the Republic of Indonesia at the Mission HQ in Laayoune to mark the country’s national day. The day  marks the  celebration  of Indonesia of  its independence in 1945. The country is the largest archipelago in the world, comprising  over 17,000 islands where, beyond the official Bahasa Indonesia, over 700 local languages and dialects are in use.

Indonesia is among the largest troop contributing countries. It  has a large-scale peacekeeping training center designed to support the deployment of future UN peacekeepers. Currently, over 2,700 women and men from Indonesia serve in the UN field operations, including in MINURSO.

On 17 August, the Republic celebrates its declaration of and the national flag known as Sang Saka Merah Putih (the red and white) – a symbol of courage and the purity of spirit of its people.

Selamat Hari Nasional Indonesia!